Identifying research priorities for older people’s mental health services
Mental Health and Social Inclusion
ISSN: 2042-8308
Article publication date: 22 March 2019
Issue publication date: 6 June 2019
Abstract
Purpose
Including the views of service users, carers and clinical staff when prioritising health research can ensure future projects are meaningful and relevant to key stakeholders. One National Health Service Foundation Trust in England, UK undertook a project to identify the top 10 research priorities according to people with experience using or working in services for dementia and older adult mental health. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Service users with dementia and mental health difficulties; informal carers, family and friends of service users; clinical staff working in the Trust. Participants were surveyed for research ideas. Ideas were processed into research questions and checked for evidence. Participants were then asked to prioritise their personal top 10 from a long list of research questions. A shortlist of 26 topics was discussed in a consensus workshop with a sample of participants to decide on the final top 10 research priorities.
Findings
A total of 126 participants provided 418 research ideas, leading to 86 unique and unanswered research questions. In total, 58 participants completed interim prioritisation, 11 of whom were invited to the consensus workshop involving service users, carers and clinical staff. The final top 10 priorities were dominated by topics surrounding care, psychosocial support and mental health in dementia.
Research limitations/implications
Future research from the Trust and collaborating organisations can use these results to develop relevant projects and applications for funding.
Originality/value
This project has demonstrated the possibility of including key stakeholders in older adult mental health research priority setting at the local level.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This manuscript is in memory of Kate Massey, who passed away during the project. Kate, a member of Inspire, provided valuable contributions to the design of the two surveys and general consultation on other aspects of the project. The authors would also like to acknowledge the help and support of the staff at the Frank Curtis Library in searching for literature, Chloe Gathercole in helping evaluate systematic reviews and all NSFT staff that helped with survey recruitment. The authors declare no sources of external funding for this project.
Citation
Emrich-Mills, L., Hammond, L.L., Rivett, E., Rhodes, T., Richmond, P. and West, J. (2019), "Identifying research priorities for older people’s mental health services", Mental Health and Social Inclusion, Vol. 23 No. 2, pp. 89-100. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-02-2019-0004
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited